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I HIGHLY recommend joining the AWS. it'll save you 25% on all publications. I've read it will help save money on certs too, but I'm not there yet.

I recently bought three books from them, including a two-year membership, here's my take so far:

1. PRGT:1999 Practical Reference Guide to Welding Titanium (Printed Hard Copy)--Not sure yet, it hasn't come in. I got it for $35 when I joined instead of the $48 bucks for non-members, it'll be a few weeks before it gets here.

2. G2.4/G2.4M:2007 Guide for the Fusion Welding of Titanium and Titanium Alloys (Printed Hard Copy)--WOW, there's a lot to welding Titanium!!! the first 20 pages are about cleaning and handling and post-flows. I love this book, and it's going to be my go-to for this big project I'm working on. As much information as is in this book, I wish I hadn't gotten the titanium reference guide, but maybe it'll have even more information.

3. EG3.0:1996 Guide for the Training & Qualification of Welding Personnel; Level II-Advanced Welder (Printed Hard Copy)--I got this one because I think it'll be a good boost for my resume and productivity to study and learn it. I wish I had gotten the Level I book too, as a lot of the Level II builds on things mentioned in Level I. I figured I'd get Level II because I'm getting to where that's where I am going in my career. But, going from what's in the Level II, Level I would probably even be a good help.

You won't find a D1.1 there or anything fancy like that, but I'm a firm believer that if there's free information about something you love to do, TAKE IT!

I recommend taking a look at QC7-93 for those of us interested in certifying. That's the basic outline for the certification process. These standards are helping me to understand my career better and helping me learn where I want to go and what it's going to take to get there. You can spend a quantifiable crap ton of money on these books, but that will help you prioritize your work. The membership is worth it to me because I see myself spending a lot of money on these books, plus it gives you a subscription to a couple welding magazines to keep you up to date on happenings.

Also, if I could have a constantly-updating print version of this forum, that would totally kick ass. There's SO much information here and so may awesome welders from so many different fields who are all ready to help anyone they can.

I have bought a few books from the Lincoln Foundation. Metals and How to Weld Them is the first one I bought and read it completely. Jody talks about it in his earlier videos. It really will help you understand how welding effects metal. Not all modern alloys are listed, but the common ones are.

nathan wrote:Is that where they got the new vertical assembly center? One day, I'd like to do what you do lol. Any advice?

Yes. Almost 160' high.

Advice: Weld. Keep welding. Weld exotic. Keep welding exotic. Weld exotic Al. Keep welding exotic Al. Move to a known aerospace manufacturing town. Bug the p*** out of the contractor until you get hired. Earn your job by doing your job. Reap the rewards of knowing that you are part of something bigger than you.

(Sorry if that sounds too gruff and philosophical. You will not get the pay of those who are in the field. Just putting that out there. I love my job, but I hate who signs my comparably small checks.)

nathan wrote:Is that where they got the new vertical assembly center? One day, I'd like to do what you do lol. Any advice?

Yes. Almost 160' high.

Advice: Weld. Keep welding. Weld exotic. Keep welding exotic. Weld exotic Al. Keep welding exotic Al. Move to a known aerospace manufacturing town. Bug the p*** out of the contractor until you get hired. Earn your job by doing your job. Reap the rewards of knowing that you are part of something bigger than you.

(Sorry if that sounds too gruff and philosophical. You will not get the pay of those who are in the field. Just putting that out there. I love my job, but I hate who signs my comparably small checks.)

I like gruff and philosophical. I'm in manufacturing right now, working for Peterbilt. We make pretty good money, $27.60/hour on 2nd shift, with only one raise. NASA doesn't pay their welders well?What kind of exotic Al? 7XXX series?